The present invention relates to a stick, such as a ski pole, walking stick, or the like, with a stick handle having a handle element and a stick tube, as well as an adjusting device, which contains a hinge and is arranged outside of the stick tube, by means of which the handle element of the stick handle can be fixed in place in an angled position with respect to the stick tube. The stick tube has a straight orientation including a tube element which can be pushed through the hinge into the handle element of the stick handle.
With such a stick, known from German Patent DE 196 42 297 C2, which can be shortened to a short size for packing, the adjusting elements of the adjusting device are formed by an extension element of a stick tube element maintained in the stick handle and by a fork-like receiver element maintained on the stick tube. The fork-like receiver element is held, fixed in the various angled positions, on laterally projecting pins of the extension element by means of screw caps. The adjusting device is arranged exposed on the stick tube of this construction, which can lead to problems in the winter in case of ice and snow. Moreover, the adjusting elements of the adjusting device considerably project past the diameter of the stick tube.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a stick of the type mentioned at the outset, whose adjusting device is protected to a large extent against environmental influences and extends less with respect to the diameter of the stick tube.
To achieve this object the stick handle forms an outer adjusting element and a cap on the lower extension element of the handle element, the cap being fixedly connected with the upper end of the stick tube. The outer adjusting element and the cap constitute an adjusting element of the adjusting device, wherein the one adjusting element is pivotably received in a cutout of the other adjusting element.
It is achieved by means of the measures in accordance with the present invention that the adjusting device is arranged to be covered inside the stick handle, so that it is generally protected from external influences, such as ice and snow. Because of the arrangement inside the stick handle, the actual, and in particular the visual, widening of the stick tube is essentially reduced.
In accordance with one embodiment, a less protruding housing of the pivot hinge and locking device is achieved in that the two adjusting elements have the pivot shaft on one side of the stick tube, and on the opposite side of the stick tube a locking device for fixation of the respective angled position. It is useful here to design the locking device in that the locking device has an outer tooth arrangement at the adjusting element of the cap of the stick tube, and a locking slide on the extension element of the stick handle. In order to prevent in this case an unintended actuation of the locking slide in the opening direction, locking slide projects past one side of the stick handle are provided.
Further advantageous embodiments of this locking device ensue from a locking slide having a longitudinal groove which receives the respective tooth of the outer tooth arrangement, and a notch which releases the tooth, from embodying the locking slide conically with an eccentric lever assigned to the locking slide, and from receiving the cap inside the cutout of the lower extension element for every angled position of the outer tooth arrangement.
Two adjusting elements on one side of the stick tube have a pivot hinge, with an eccentric lever cooperating with the pivot hinge for clamping fixation in place of the two adjusting elements in the respective position represent another embodiment of the locking device. Besides a less protruding placement of the pivot hinge and the locking device, a quick and easy to handle fixation of the angle position setting furthermore results. In this connection it is useful to design the eccentric lever by maintaining the pivot shaft of the pivot hinge on one, preferably outer, adjusting element and the eccentric lever on the other, preferably inner, adjusting element and/or by seating the pivot shaft in a bore which has a greater diameter and is eccentric with respect to it, of the eccentric lever.
An adjusting device which can be fixed over a large surface is created in that the one adjusting element has an interior surface in the shape of a universal ball joint, and the other adjusting element has a corresponding exterior surface in the shape of a universal ball joint. In order to achieve a sufficient fixation, or clamping, by means of the eccentric lever here, either the interior surface and the exterior surface are provided with a friction coating, or the interior surface and the exterior surface are provided with profiling are provided. Because of this, a frictional fixation results in the one case, while in the other case an interlocking fixation has been achieved.
By means of providing the adjusting device with a device to indicate the adjusted position, it is possible in a simple manner to set both sticks of a pair of sticks at the same angle and to fix them in place in the same way. In this case a visually attractive and easy-to-read indication can be embodied having a window on the outer adjustment element and a marking on the inner adjusting element and/or the window is constituted by a plurality of window sections, which are arranged along a ring section of a circle and whose shape corresponds to that of the marking.
Further embodiments ensue from the provision of an axial blind bore in the stick handle, which lengthens the stick tube, and/or forming the handle element with a lower extension element.
In a further exemplary embodiment wherein the handle element of the stick handle is maintained on a handle tube element into which, in a straight orientation of the stick, the tube element of the stick tube can be pushed through the hinge, the handle element of the stick handle is embodied in two pieces by an upper partial handle element and a separate lower partial handle element, and that the upper partial handle element can be placed on the handle tube element and fastened the advantage results that sticks, embodied in this way, are uniformly pre-produced and preassembled, except for the upper handle element, until at the end of this preassembly the upper handle element suitable for the desired type of handle must yet be attached. In this case the upper handle elements can differ in form and/or technology.
The selection of the upper handle elements can be exclusively limited to those at the final assembly, however, it can also take place later in that the upper partial handle element of the handle element of the stick handle is maintained removably for exchange.
In this connection the upper partial handle element contains all or parts of the handle area, and/or, on its ends adjoining the lower partial handle element, the partial handle element is provided with a shape which makes a transition into the shape of the respective end of the lower partial handle element are usefully provided in order to achieve, on the one hand, a more or less extensive changed portion in the handle area and, on the other hand, to obtain a tactile and visual transition from the handle element to the extension element.
Further embodiments ensue from the lower partial handle element having a cutout which partially receives the outer tooth arrangement of the adjusting element, and/or the handle element and the partial handle element are extruded as one piece.